The Student Voice Of Chowan

October 31, 2016October 31, 2016

The Kaepernick Effect

By Robert Parham

The Kaepernick Effect

San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Colin Kaepernick has made it to the top of the trending topics list for the past month. His actions that gained him this position of popularity and interest have been more controversial than sports related. Exercising his rights as an American citizen, the superstar quarterback sat and kneeled during the National Anthem on multiple occasions. This has been stirring up much controversy in the NFL and the outside world. At the beginning of the NFL preseason Kaepernick went unnoticed when he first protested the National Anthem because he didn’t play in the first two game and he wasn’t in uniform. After the third game is when Kaepernick made news headlines.

After many people being shocked and left with many questions on why Kaepernick took a knee on the field, he came out with a straightforward answer. The quarterback wanted to stand up against police brutality and the oppression of people of color. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Kaepernick lets the media and the rest of the world know that he’s adamant about bringing awareness to an unjust situation. Many people see this as a form of ignorance and hate, others view this as a form of peaceful and positive protest.

With this being such a strong message to the public, Kaepernick has gained many supporters and many opposers. Music artist, athletes, and many other well-known celebrities have joined Kaepernick in his kneel for justice. On another note there have been many people bashing his name and jersey, along with a claim that he does not respect the country which he is a citizen of. At the end of the day Kaepernick is taking a stand in something that he believes in without harming anything or anyone. You can also look at the point of view someone who does not approve of his message. Did Colin Kaepernick take a positive step into bringing awareness to a racial issue in today’s American society? Or did he just cause more controversy for people to talk about?